Soul Shuffle
by Mnemosyne's Elegy
Summary: When Meryet's bond to Mira is somehow transferred to Kaiba, how will the enigmatic spirit and irritable CEO cope? Meryet thinks it's time for Kaiba to learn a valuable lesson or two, and she intends to teach them. Not OC x Kaiba.
1. Chapter 1

**Note: The inspiration for this story came from ideas I had been considering for several weeks, combined with ideas omygodagiantrock's story Shift  (which is very good, by the way) ****helped me come up with**. I tried to keep Kaiba in character, but in later chapters he may become a little bit OOC, just because I have limited patience.  


**This story is set after DOMA but before the Memory Arc. The first couple chapters may seem a little slow since their purpose is to set up the story and provide necessary background information, but later chapters will have more action.**

**I highly suggest taking a look at my "story" titled OC Character Sketches before reading this, just because it explains who my OCs are. It is not necessary however, and many of the more important details are explained throughout the story. Just know that Mira is Yugi's older sister, and Meryet is the spirit she currently shares a body with. The mirror is _not _a Millennium item, and its significance is explained later in the story. My OC is one of the main characters, along with Kaiba, so if you don't like stories where OCs play a prominent role, you probably aren't going to like the story. It's okay; I don't read a lot of stories with OCs either. This story is mainly here for archiving purposes.  
**

_**thoughts**_

_**/ /Meryet's communication through mindlink/ /**_

**Enjoy.**

* * *

"You have not learned, Kaiba. That is why you cannot defeat me." Meryet sighed softly as the holograms surrounding her and her dueling partner vanished. Kaiba glared at her.

"Oh please, not more of your friendship nonsense," he growled as he turned to leave.

Meryet raised an eyebrow. "I have no desire to lecture you. You are a worthy opponent, Kaiba, and defeating you always presents a challenge."

"Don't patronize me. I don't need you to try to make me feel better, or whatever you think you're doing."

She just shook her head. "I am merely stating the facts."

She watched him with a sort of irritated interest. Ever since he had figured out that she was as good a duelist as the King of Games, he had taken to challenging her as well. It hadn't worked out for him yet. He had the skills, but the anger and hatred in his heart always caused him to slip up at some critical moment. If he could only learn to work past those feelings, his life would be so much better. Maybe he knew this, maybe not. But she was sure that he would never admit it, regardless.

"We're leaving, Mokuba."

"But Seto-"

"Now."

Meryet saw the flash of hurt flicker across the younger boy's face and felt her heart go out to him. Kaiba loved his younger brother in his own way. Indeed, she sometimes thought that Mokuba was the only one who had a place in the CEO's heart. Now if only Kaiba could see how much he hurt Mokuba. If only he could learn to open his heart.

She didn't quite understand how Kaiba could casually disregard the relationship between him and his brother when she would have given anything to have the relationship between her and her sister restored. Why couldn't he see? She supposed that was just how he was. His harsh past had taught him all the wrong things.

Most people saw only the heartless façade he put up. Maybe he himself only saw that as well. But Meryet had a feeling that it was not too late to save him. He was hardly evil, and there was still a light burning in his soul, if only he could find it in time, before it was extinguished for good.

_/Are you alright?/_

Meryet blinked. She hadn't realized that some of her frustration and pity had leaked through the bond.

_/ /Yes. I just wish that Kaiba would learn. I believe that he is not as cold as everyone thinks-as he thinks-but he will never admit it. I wish that there was a way to show him. A way to help him. He needs to learn how to love again./ /_

_/I think you're right, but-/_

There was a sudden tearing, a severing that went beyond the physical force of ripping. A sundering of souls. It was not so much a sound that characterized it, rather a distinctly unpleasant sensation of ripping, tearing, cleaving.

Meryet gasped in a pain that went far beyond the physical realm, her eyes flickering shut as she collapsed into darkness.

* * *

Mira screamed as she was suddenly thrust into control of the body she shared with Meryet. She fell to the ground, writhing in pain.

"Mira! Mira!"

She gasped and sat up abruptly, her eyes taking on a vacant, glassy stare.

"She's gone. Meryet's gone."

* * *

_Good grief, what now?_ Kaiba grimaced as he heard a scream. _Who cares? It doesn't affect me. Those brats mean nothing to me. It's probably not important, and it definitely doesn't matter._

_/ /Actually, I think you should go back and check. I imagine that it has something to do with me./ /_

Kaiba jerked in surprise. Now he was hearing voices in his head. Overworked for sure. He shook his head violently to clear it.

"Seto? We should go see what happened."

Kaiba glanced at Mokuba and opened his mouth to dismiss the suggestion. Then he thought about that weird voice. It had sounded oddly familiar… He frowned. He shouldn't be listening to strange voices in his head. But still…

"Fine. But let's make it quick."

His brother looked at him in surprise, obviously expecting an argument. Kaiba shook off his reaction with irritation and stormed back into the building, where the geek squad was waiting. They were all gathered in a circle around Mira, who was on her knees, staring into space.

"Why in the world are you screaming?" he asked in exasperation, trying not to let on how perturbed he was by the whole situation. There was something not quite right about the empty look in the girl's eyes.

Ever so slowly, Mira turned her head to look at him. Suddenly her eyes widened and she gasped, life returning to her features.

"Meryet?" Her voice held a jumble of emotions-confusion, awe, fear, pain.

He frowned. Meryet? Wasn't that what they called that ancient Egyptian spirit they claimed inhabited the girl's body? Kaiba didn't believe in that nonsense. It was foolish. Yet…He couldn't deny that Mira and Yugi seemed like completely different people sometimes, especially when they dueled. He couldn't help but have the feeling that there was some truth to their claims, although he would never admit it. To them or himself.

He realized that Mira wasn't looking at him, but at something next to him. He turned to follow her gaze, and his mouth dropped open.

"What in the world? You…you…" His horrified gaze traveled back and forth between Mira and the ghostly form beside him. For now there was someone else next to him. Someone who looked an awful lot like an older version of Mira, with the same ice blue eyes and honey brown fading to golden blonde hair. Someone who was see-through.

"You can see her?" Mira asked in astonishment, finally looking at Kaiba.

"See…her…?... I refuse to believe any of this. Someone check the equipment. There's obviously a bug in the holograms."

_/ /Now, now, Kaiba. Do not dismiss me that easily./ /_ The figure beside him sounded unmistakably amused. He just stared.

"What happened? Why can Kaiba see you?" The whiny Yugi had been replaced by his more mature and arrogant counterpart. The one they called Yami or Pharaoh. The one Kaiba refused to acknowledge.

The rest of the geek squad looked even more confused than the Mutou brats. They obviously had no idea what was going on.

_/ /It seems that our bond has somehow been transferred./ / _The spirit's eyes rested contemplatively on Kaiba. He repressed the urge to shiver. It was as if she could see into his very soul. _/ /I am bonded to Kaiba now./ /_

"But how? I thought we were bonded…"

_/ /We are, Mira. But that link has been temporarily transferred. I do not know why or how. I expect that it has to do with that cursed mirror. Its magic is not well understood, even by me. Take a look at it./ /_

Mira fumbled around in the pocket of her jacket, pulling out the old hand mirror she seemed to carry everywhere. Kaiba said nothing, still in shock.

"Meryet? I see…I only see my reflection…"

"Of course," Kaiba snapped, his anger and uncertainty finally boiling over. "It's a mirror, for crying out loud. It's _supposed_ to show you your reflection."

Mira just shook her head. "Not this one. I expect that Meryet will explain it to you in time. For now…" She paused, closed her eyes briefly, her face twisting in pain. "You take it. You'll need it until we get this mess sorted out."

Kaiba stared at the mirror she held out to him. "Um, no. I don't want it. I don't want to have anything to do with any of this. I'm leaving now."

"What's going on, Seto?" His brother's voice was confused and timid. Kaiba shook his head in disgust. Could he never be quiet?

"Nothing is going on. We're leaving."

_/ /I am afraid that it is not so simple, Kaiba./ /_

He froze as Meryet's voice seemed to wash over him, wash through him. It was as if she wasn't really speaking out loud, but directly into his mind.

_/ /I know that you do not wish to believe in any of this, and I will humor you, to some extent. But this is important. Mira is my host, my vessel, my tie to this world. But for some reason, you have temporarily taken her place. I cannot imagine that this situation is permanent, for we were destined to meet and complete each other./ /_

_Oh great. More destiny foolishness. Next they'll start talking about their supposed ancient pasts again._

_/ /I know that you do not wish to believe in destiny, and I will not lecture you about it, but it is not foolish. And I will not bore you with the details of my ancient past, although that may become important later./ /_

Kaiba paled. It was almost as if she had read his thoughts.

_/ /Of course I did. We are bonded now./ /_

He jumped in surprise. "Stop that!"

"Kaiba…" He glared over at Mira as she spoke. "Look, I don't know why this happened, but we're going to have to make the best of it. What Meryet says is true. There are some things you should know about how the bond works, but I think that she can explain it to you better than I can. Kaiba…take care of her for me."

The girl offered him the mirror again, although she obviously didn't want to.

_/ /Take it, Kaiba. We need it./ /_

This time he followed her directions and took the object gingerly, eyeing it with distaste, as if it could explode at any moment. He was vaguely aware of Mira and the other Yugi explaining what had just transpired to the rest of their dorky friends, but he ignored them.

_/ /I believe that this is the answer./ /_

Kaiba frowned in confusion. "What?"

Mira looked over. "What do you mean?"

_/ /Remember when I told you that I wished there was a way to help Kaiba? I think that this may be it. The mirror sometimes reacts to requests in odd ways./ /_

"Whoa, what do you mean, helping me? I don't need help. And I definitely don't need _your_ help!" he snarled at the ghost beside him. Meryet's ice blue gaze slid back to him again.

_/ /Never you worry, Kaiba. I think that this will be a learning experience for the both of us./ /_

"I don't want to learn anything! All I want to know is how to get rid of you!"

_/ /I am not sure of the answer to that yet, but I am beginning to get some idea. Mira, Yami, Yugi, I am afraid that we will have to part for some time. I think that once Kaiba is ready, I will be free to return. For now, we will have to deal with these new accommodations. _

_/ /Kaiba, listen to me. That mirror is important. Keep it safe. And I would advise you to be careful with it. It is not a plaything. I suggest that you do not even look into it, but keep it on your person at all times, if possible./ /_

Kaiba instinctively rebelled, doing exactly the opposite of what the spirit had requested of him. He peered into the mirror, only to see his own face reflected there.

"I told you. It's just a mirror. It shows me my reflection like any other mirror." He could almost feel Meryet's disapproval and irritation.

_/ /Perhaps because you are not yet ready to see. It will become more dangerous in the future./ /_

Kaiba snorted in disbelief. He wasn't inclined to believe this nonsense. Meryet's eyes narrowed in disapproval, almost as if she had heard his last thought.

_/ /I did./ /_

He started again. "How do you do that?"

_/ /I told you. We are bonded. I hear your thoughts, you hear mine. How do you think that I am communicating with you right now? You can also speak mentally through the mindlink like I am, once you are ready./ /_

"You're telling me that you can hear all my thoughts? I think you're lying. I can only hear what you're sending through this 'mindlink' of yours, not every thought."

_/ /There _are_ such things as barriers. I will show you how to construct them later. If not prevented from doing so, all of our thoughts and emotions will cross the link. You have to learn to block those which you do not want the other to feel or hear./ /_

Kaiba just shook his head. This was crazy.

"Seto? Are they telling the truth?" He looked at Mokuba and frowned. He hadn't been paying attention to what Mira and Yugi had told the others, so he wasn't sure how much his brother had heard.

"I don't know." He glowered. "We're going home. Right now."

"But Seto-"

"No buts!"

_/ /Perhaps you should be kinder to your brother. He means well./ /_

_It's none of your business!_

_/ /You are right, I suppose./ /_

_So now what? I have to deal with you hanging around all the time?_

_/ /For now, yes. Although I have ways of making myself scarce. I will try to stay out of your way, but Kaiba, there is a reason for this, and I think that it may require us to interact./ /_

_I hope not. I just want you gone as soon as possible._

_/ /As do I./ /_

"We'll go ask Ishizu if she has any ideas tomorrow," the other Yugi said with a sigh.

"She had better have answers," Kaiba snapped as he strode out the door, his brother and henchmen following in his wake. She had better have answers, or Kaiba was going to figure out his own way to get rid of this ghost.


	2. Chapter 2

"That's really weird. I guess it makes all their talk about ancient Egyptian spirits and whatnot seem more believable."

Kaiba glared over at his brother. "I don't know what they're playing at, but I still don't believe all that ancient past and destiny mumbo jumbo. Don't let them fill your head with nonsense. You shouldn't spend so much time with them. You've been hanging out with them more often lately."

"Well yeah, I know you don't like them, but they're actually pretty nice-"

"Stay away from them!" Kaiba snarled, his eyes narrowing in anger.

Mokuba's eyes widened, hurt flashing through them. "Maybe if you spent more time with me, I wouldn't need to hang out with them!"

_How dare he say something like that?_

Kaiba opened his mouth to retort, when the spirit beside him finally spoke. She had been sitting on the seat beside him silently, staring out the window for the entire car ride. If she had felt his emotions or been listening to his conversation with his brother, she had given no sign of it. But now she was interfering.

_/ /Give your brother a chance, Kaiba. He is lonely./ /_

"And that gives him a right to say that? And to hang out with your stupid friends? You have no place in this conversation!"

_/ /Perhaps. Perhaps not. But what he does is his own choice. You must accept this. But you are right that I have no right to participate in this conversation. It is not my place. But Kaiba, it pains me to see you hurt him so./ /_

Kaiba snorted angrily, glaring daggers into the see-through form beside him. She hadn't so much as turned to look at him. She was still gazing out the window as if she was taking in the scenery of the city.

"That's ridiculous. I'm not-"

_/ /His eyes, Kaiba./ /_

"What?"

_/ /Look at his eyes./ /_

Normally he would not follow anyone's suggestion, but in his surprise and confusion, he instinctively turned to look at Mokuba. His brother's gray eyes were watching him with a mixture of confusion and hurt. Kaiba couldn't speak for a moment, feeling a brief tug of guilt. He did love his brother, but in the darkness of his heart, it could be hard for him to show it, or even feel it.

He sighed. "You may do as you wish." It was as close to an apology as he would ever get. Seto Kaiba apologized to no one.

Mokuba's eyes widened and something Kaiba couldn't quite read flickered in them. Then his brother nodded and turned to look out his window. Kaiba glanced over at the spirit, daring her to gloat in her victory, but she didn't even acknowledge his presence. He growled in frustration, but said nothing, losing himself in thoughts of how this new development would ruin his life, and how he could fix the problem.

_At least she doesn't look like me though._

He felt a faint sense of confusion wash over him, but…he wasn't confused. He glanced over at Meryet, who had stirred and turned to survey him. That sensation…was it hers? Was he feeling her confusion?

_/ /What do you mean?/ /_

"Nothing," he muttered, ignoring how Mokuba frowned over at him. People were going to think he was crazy, talking to himself.

_/ /I can hear the thoughts you send me. You do not have to speak out loud. But Kaiba, what did you mean by that?/ /_

_I thought I told you that it doesn't matter._

The spirit didn't reply for a few moments, but she was still studying him, frowning in concentration as she thought about his statement. Suddenly he felt a tug of amusement.

_/ /Ahh…You mean because I look so much like Mira? You thought that I mirrored her image because she was my host, and entertained the possibility that I would reflect your appearance because you are now my vessel?/ /_

_ …_

_/ /Actually, it is an interesting thought. But no, I do not project myself in Mira's image. This is how I looked when I was alive. Mira just happens to look very similar to me. The same goes for the Pharaoh and Yugi. I would call it evidence of destiny drawing us together, but since you do not believe in destiny, you can think of it as a very unlikely and interesting coincidence./ /_

_Great. Not only do I have a voice in my head, but it also insists on prattling on about ancient pasts and destiny._

_/ /Do not worry. I have no intention of lecturing you. You can believe whatever you like. I cannot, and will not, force you to believe anything./ /_

He supposed it was true. Meryet had never given speeches on friendship and the Heart of the Cards and destiny. She had brought the topics up before, but she had never lectured about them.

He supposed that meant that he acknowledged that Meryet was indeed a separate person from Mira, although he would never admit it. In all honesty, he had known it almost from the beginning. She and Yami were just too different from Mira and Yugi, while similar at the same time. He had more respect for the ghosts. Sure he still hated them and found them extremely annoying, but they had pride and skill. They were strong duelists and strong people. He could appreciate them as rivals. But that didn't mean that he wanted one of them living in his head.

_You said something about being able to put up barriers around our thoughts and emotions?_

_/ /Yes. When the link remains completely open, we can sense everything. However, I have constricted it to some extent so that I can hear only your most well-formed thoughts and feel only your strongest emotions. Believe it or not, I will respect your privacy as much as possible, considering that we now share a body and mind. But there is a way to shield the thoughts and feelings you do not wish me to sense. Just concentrate on how much you want to keep them hidden from me. It will be more difficult at first, and will require more concentration, but it will get easier over time./ /_

_Hm._

_/ /Kaiba?/ /_

_What _now_?_

_/ /You have reached your mansion./ /_

Kaiba looked up, startled. Mokuba was giving him an odd look, and their driver was looking back at them apprehensively. The limo had stopped and was now parked in front of the Kaiba mansion. He had been so lost in his thoughts-and Meryet's, for that matter-that he hadn't even realized that they had arrived.

With an irritated huff, he opened his door and ducked out of the car.

"Let's go, Mokuba."

His brother followed him inside the house. Kaiba was about to head straight to his room, when he paused. Mokuba hadn't yet said anything, but he seemed like he wanted to.

"Well? What is it?" he asked irritably, ready to leave.

"I-I was just wondering if maybe you would, um, like to eat dinner with me tonight?" His voice was hesitant and unsure.

"No. I have business to take care of. Good night."

_/ /Could you not take a few minutes to spend some time with him? What is so urgent that you cannot even spare a half hour to eat dinner with him?/ /_

_You. I have to figure out how to get you out of my head as soon as possible._

_/ /Well it is not going to happen tonight. Eat with him./ /_

_Don't order me around. I don't want to eat, so I won't._

_/ /…/ /_

He could feel the spirit's irritation, but ignored it. She had no right to tell him what to do.

"Oh…Okay. Good night, Seto." Mokuba's voice was laced with bitter disappointment and hurt. Kaiba almost wanted to relent and eat with him, but shook off the thought. Mokuba could wait. He thought he felt a hint of sadness from Meryet at that thought, but it was so fleeting that he could have imagined it.

Turning away from Mokuba, he climbed the stairs and walked down the hallway to reach his room. Sitting at his desk, he pondered this unlikely situation. He jumped in surprise as Meryet's ghostly form materialized beside him. Her contemplative eyes rested on him.

_/ /Kaiba, we need to talk./ /_

_I don't want to hear your thoughts about how I should treat Mokuba._

_/ /No, I will not pursue that topic at this time. We have other matters to discuss./ /_

_Well?_

_/ /You have the right to know some of the details of your predicament. I will not bore you with all of them though, seeing as you refuse to believe in most of them. This is what you need to know. That mirror is important, and may put you in danger. There are those out there who want it, and are ruthless enough that they do not care who they hurt to achieve their goals. That mirror is also the manifestation of our bond. It is where my soul resides. Somehow it has attached itself to you, and in order to transfer the link back to Mira, we need to figure out how to get the mirror to reattach itself to her./ /_

_You talk about it like it's some kind of living thing._

_/ /Hmm…/ /_ A thoughtful look crossed her face. _/ /Not exactly. It is complicated even for me to understand, and you surely would not believe the best explanations I have for it. Do not worry too much about its true nature, for now./ /_

_If I just break it, will you go away?_

A stab of emotions pierced the link, but were cut off after only a second, as if Meryet had caught her slip up and corrected it. It hadn't been long enough for him to figure out exactly what she was feeling, but he thought that he could detect several emotions: disgust, anguish, fear. Fear? Meryet seemed pretty fearless to him. What scared her so much?

_/ /I would appreciate it if we could explore other avenues before you attempt that./ /_

_But would it work?_

_/ /…Yes, I suppose it would./ /_

_So why shouldn't I do it and be rid of you now?_

_/ /Please, Kaiba. Just wait. Mira and the others will talk to Ishizu tomorrow and look for a solution. I do not know how much of a help she will be though. I know the mirror far better than she does, and I think that I will be able to figure out how to transfer the link again. I apologize for the inconvenience this is causing you, but I ask you not to break the mirror yet. It would have far-reaching consequences that could create more problems than it solves./ /_

Kaiba still thought that breaking the thing would be the most convenient course of action, but there was something about Meryet's mixed emotions that stayed his hand. Perhaps he could wait a few days.

_/ /Thank you./ /_

_I didn't say anything._

_/ /I know./ /_

_ …__Whatever. So when you said that you could make yourself scarce, what did you mean?_

_/ /Do you feel the strength of the link? When I materialized, you should have felt its nature change. There are times when I will materialize outside the confines of the mirror, times when I am aware of you and your surroundings, and times when I give you the most privacy possible, where I will not be watching and listening to the events you undergo. You will be able to feel the difference./ /_

Now that she mentioned it, he _could_ feel something. The connection he had with Meryet…It had seemed to grow stronger when she had appeared beside him. He didn't know what exactly it would feel like when she left him alone, but he was sure that he would find out.

_Very well. Now, what else does this bond entail? Wait…?_ A thought struck him. _You can't possess me, can you?_

_/ /…I can take control of your body, yes./ /_

He felt a stab of horror. This was unbelievable! He couldn't have some ghost running around in his body!

He felt a wave of hurried reassurance through the bond.

_/ /Do not worry so much. I will not take over your body. Not unless it is absolutely necessary. It is your body and your life. I will not deprive you of them any more than necessary. I only take control of Mira's body when she and her friends are in danger, for the most part. I make an exception for dueling you because she insists./ /_

_She insists? Why would she _want_ you to take over her body?_

_/ /I do not completely understand. She wants me to "live a little", I believe she said. She feels that it is not fair that I can only join the real world when I am protecting her. She always wants me to spend time with her friends or doing "fun" things. I do not agree with her, but I humor her sometimes so that she does not become annoyed with me./ /_

_ …__Sounds stupid to me. But I don't really care about her. I'm more worried about this body snatching thing. You can really just take my body over whenever you want?_

_/ /Sort of. It takes a lot of energy for me to assume control, and if you fight me, it will be even more difficult. If I am weakened, you could probably stop me. If I am at full strength, then I imagine that I could do as I please. But I have no intention of taking your body, Kaiba./ /_

_So you're like a parasite, then. You need a host to live, and you take their life and body to accommodate yourself. _

_/ /…I suppose so. I have considered that train of thought before./ /_

Kaiba was surprised that she hadn't argued with him about that comparison. He couldn't imagine that she liked being called a parasite, but it seemed that she considered herself one as well. The mix of emotions he had felt from her-guilt, pain, regret-seemed to confirm it.

_/ /Yes. Perhaps I am not like most of the parasites in your world, but I share certain characteristics with them. The main difference is that I will still protect my host./ /_

He started in shock. She was reading his thoughts again.

_/ /Yes. I am not trying to, but you are not very good at constructing barriers yet, and you are practically shouting some of your thoughts. It makes it hard not to hear them. Anyway, there is something I want to show you./ /_

_What?_

_/ /Everyone has something called a soul room. It is a reflection of their souls, their minds, themselves. Most people do not know how to access these areas, and indeed are not aware of their existence. I think it would be beneficial to you if I showed you how to access yours./ /_

_Why?_

_/ /Our soul rooms change to reflect our current state. And they hold secrets. Who truly knows their own mind? We hide things from ourselves all the time. Our soul rooms reflect everything, including those things which we do not consciously know. I think that you could learn from yours./ /_

_Not interested. I don't care about some room thing that may or may not exist._

_/ /Please, Kaiba, give it a chance. Let me take you there once. Then you will have the choice of whether or not you ever return. I ask that you at least see what I am talking about before you dismiss it./ /_

_ …_

_/ /Alright. Lay down on your bed. Your soul will be traveling, but your body will remain. To others it will look like you are sleeping. Then close your eyes and imagine that you are separated from your body./ /_

Kaiba reluctantly draped himself across his bed, unsure what the ghost had planned.

_And how in the world am I supposed to do that?_

Meryet didn't answer. She just watched him with a raised eyebrow. Sighing, he closed his eyes and did as she instructed. Opening his eyes again, he was about to complain that the whole exercise was nothing but nonsense, but stopped. He stared, gaping, at his bed, where his body lay.

"What in the world…?"

He was standing next to his body. And he could see through his hand.

"What did you do to me?"

"Nothing." Meryet's voice sounded more substantial than before, as if the link had been strengthened somehow. She moved to his side and peered down at his body with him. "You did this. Congratulations. You have successfully separated your consciousness from your body."

"Why am I see-through?"

She looked at him and smirked, as if the answer was obvious. "Because you are no longer in your body. You are now only your mind, manifesting in a representation of your physical form."

Perhaps it _had_ been obvious.

Annoyed that he had overlooked that fact and made himself sound like a fool, he glared at Meryet. "I don't like it."

The spirit just chuckled. "Welcome to my world, Kaiba. In any case, you will realize that you can no longer interact with physical objects."

Instinctively he reached out to touch his body, and yelped in shock as his ghostly hand passed right through it. He felt a quirk of amusement through the bond and grimaced, angry that he had made himself look foolish again.

She reached out suddenly and grasped his wrist. Before he could pull it away, he felt a sharp tug and their surrounding blurred and shifted. Blinking, he realized that they were now standing in a hallway with two doors, both facing each other on opposite sides of the walkway.

"What just happened?"

Meryet released his wrist. "I have taken us to our soul rooms. Most people would find only one room in their minds. You currently have two because of our bond. Yours is the one on the left. The one on the right, with all the symbols carved into it, is mine. We can both access each other's rooms because of the bond. However, soul rooms can be very personal places, and I will not intrude into yours unless you invite me to.

"You are free to enter mine if you wish, but I advise you not to wander it alone. Most soul rooms are exactly what they sound like: a room. However, mine is more like…a labyrinth, I suppose. The more knowledge and secrets one holds and hides, the more complex the room. My room is also full of traps and dangers. I do not allow Mira to wander it alone because it is dangerous. I ask that you do not explore it by yourself either.

"This is what I meant when I said that I could make myself scarce. I will be spending much of my time in my soul room, to give you your privacy. If you wish to enter, just knock. If you need me for anything, simply call me mentally.

"Now, I am going into my room, and I suggest that you visit yours. Take a look around. It may become important in the future. When you are finished, imagine yourself back in your body. I am sure that you will not find this difficult, but if you do, call me and I will assist you. Good night, Kaiba."

She pulled open the door to her soul room and left Kaiba alone with his thoughts. This whole situation was impossible. But…She sounded so sure, so confident. And he had to admit that he had never heard her lie before. Sound a little crazy with her talk about destiny and ancient secrets, yes, but lie…

Sighing, he turned to face the door on the left. He wasn't sure that he wanted to know any more about himself than he already did. Wasn't sure that he _needed_ to know. But since he was here, it made sense to at least take a look, right? But whatever lay behind that door…It was making him nervous, that was for sure.

Taking a deep breath, he turned the handle and swung the door open.


	3. Chapter 3

"What the…?"

Kaiba gaped. The crazy ghost had been right. There was a room here, and he didn't like it. He walked inside slowly, letting the door creak shut behind him as he stepped into the room. He looked around, taking it all in.

It was a large room, but strangely sterile. The walls and floor were glaringly white, but were crisscrossed with an array of thick black cracks and smaller hairline fractures. In one corner of the room it seemed as if the floor had been almost torn up, the jagged gashes in the stone threatening to collapse the entire room.

One wall had a large portrait of Mokuba hanging on it, but the painting was faded and covered in thin black cracks, the paint peeling off. It was as if the room and picture were decaying, from the inside out. Kaiba shuddered.

A large boardroom table took up the middle of the floor, wooden chairs placed around it in such a way that it looked like their occupants had just gotten up and left, leaving the chairs skewed and uneven. Kaiba stepped over to the table, examining the laptop placed in front of the head chair. Its screen was black and lifeless, and remained so, no matter what buttons he pressed. What good was a computer that didn't work? He huffed with irritation and moved away.

Kaiba was normally a very neat person, but nothing about this room reflected his obsessive tidiness. The table and floor were strewn with Duel Monsters cards and papers. He picked up a paper to study it. It didn't seem to be anything important, but as he looked at all of them, he got the impression that they were related to work. His work. At least that would make sense. His work was very important.

He took a half step back as he caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye. Somehow he had missed the statue of Blue Eyes White Dragon hanging from the ceiling. He tilted his head up to look at it. It was exquisitely made, but it too was covered in cracks. As a matter of fact, it looked downright unsafe, as if it could drop from the ceiling at any moment and crush him.

Actually, this entire room looked unsound and dangerous. He turned to leave, unsure if there was really any danger here or not, but paused. On the far wall there was a door. How in the world had he missed a door? He shook his head. He didn't care what was behind it, and he just wanted to get out of this accursed room. He didn't like that he was transparent or apparently wandering around his mind or soul or whatever. He still wasn't sure that he believed it, and his uncertainty irritated him. Why was he humoring Meryet by coming here in the first place?

But…With an exasperated sigh, he strode across the room towards the mysterious door. He couldn't deny that he was curious. He needed to know what was behind that door. Whatever it was, he probably wouldn't like it, but it was better to know something than not to know it. What you didn't know _could_ kill you.

He opened the door slowly, wondering why there was a strange eye carved on it. It reminded him of the eye that sometimes appeared on the spirits' foreheads when they claimed to do magic. And come to think of it, hadn't he seen a similar symbol prominently featured on the door to Meryet's soul room? He pushed away the thoughts. They weren't important.

He had to push hard to open the door because it resisted his touch, as if it hadn't been opened in a very long time. But once it finally swung open, Kaiba wished he could shut it again.

He couldn't help but groan and roll his eyes as he realized that this second room had a distinctly Egyptian feel. It was bad enough that he was expected to believe that Meryet and Yami had been ancient Egyptians, but they also tried to convince him that he had some sort of Egyptian past as well. He refused to believe it. So why was this room here? He should just turn around and leave, shut the door and walk away, but he couldn't quite make himself do it. He had to at least know what was here.

With a heavy sigh, he took a hesitant step into the room and looked around. The walls and floor were made of large stone blocks, almost like a pyramid. He could see a few cracks in them, but not nearly as many as in the other room. There were large stone slabs set up along some of the walls, pictures of Duel Monsters carved into them. Blue Eyes held a prominent position in the center.

There appeared to be a golden throne on one side of the room, see-through replicas of the Millennium Rod and Millennium Puzzle perched atop it, as if someone had carelessly thrown them there. A few other Egyptian artifacts were placed around the room, but Kaiba ignored them. He was most interested in the paintings.

There had only been one painting in the other room, but there were several in here, all hanging along one wall. One featured a girl with long white hair and large blue eyes. He felt a tug of familiarity, but quickly dismissed it. His eyes skimmed briefly over the line of pictures, counting perhaps seven or eight in total. The others held little interest to him, except for two of them. One showed someone who looked suspiciously like Yami except with darker skin, Egyptian clothing, and some sort of crown. He frowned at it for a moment before shifting his gaze to the portrait beside it.

The person featured there looked like Meryet, although she had slightly darker skin and wore Egyptian dress as well. She was holding some sort of staff and the annoying mirror which was now in his possession. Her eyes were as sharp and confident as Meryet's, but there was something about them that seemed strangely melancholy as well. There was a long jagged slash across the picture, although it would look as if it were partially healed if inanimate objects were capable of healing. There was something about the portrait that disturbed him profoundly.

Shivering, he tore his eyes away from the picture and hurried out of the room, tugging the door shut behind him. He picked his way across the floor of the white room, avoiding the gashes in the floor. Slamming the door to his soul room shut, he leaned against it and closed his eyes briefly. He realized that he was breathing in ragged gasps, and forced himself to resume a regular breathing pattern again before he opened his eyes and found himself standing in the hallway linking their soul rooms.

What had Meryet said to do when he was finished? Imagine himself back in his body? Unsure of exactly how to go about that, he shut his eyes again and tried it. And failed. His imagination had never been very good, and he doubted that his uneasiness was helping any. He groaned and slid to the floor. What would happen if he couldn't get back to his body? Would he be stuck here forever? Would Mokuba find his body and think that he was in a coma? Or dead?

_/ /Kaiba? Are you alright?/ /_

Some of his panic must have slipped through the link. He tried to disguise it, but had the feeling that he wasn't doing a very good job.

_Yes. _He sent as much irritation as he could muster. He didn't want to appear weak before his rival. Didn't want to rely on her.

He could have sworn that he heard a mental sigh from Meryet, if that was even possible. A moment later, the door to her room swung open and she stepped into the hallway. Kaiba hurriedly drew himself to his feet and plastered an unreadable expression on his face. Although he wasn't sure how unreadable it could be since she could sense his emotions.

"Have you completed your inspection, Kaiba?" He had expected to hear some sort of satisfaction or smug amusement in her voice. Maybe see a smirk on her face. But no, she seemed mildly concerned, not gloating.

He nodded. "Yeah. I want to go back."

"The first time is the hardest," the spirit said, somewhat soothingly. "I'm sure that after you've done it once or twice, you'll be able to do it without a problem. But just for this time, let me help you."

He opened his mouth to argue that he didn't need her help, but closed it again, a bitter expression flitting across his face. As much as he hated to admit it, it seemed that he actually did need her help. He would just have to swallow his pride and accept it, but that was easier said than done. He settled for fixing his gaze pointedly on the floor and crossing his arms across his chest.

"Please, allow me." Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Meryet extend a hand. It hovered beside him, but she did not touch him or grasp his wrist this time. Instead she waited for Kaiba to accept her help, giving him the chance to refuse if he really wanted to. Kaiba didn't move for several seconds, taking a sort of twisted pleasure in knowing that he was making her wait on him. She didn't let any emotion slip through the link, but he hoped he was annoying her.

Finally, he uncrossed his arms and gingerly placed one of his hands in hers.

"Yeah, sure. Whatever."

There was a brief tug and a blur of color and motion, and he found himself standing back in his bedroom.

_/ /If you concentrate on how it felt when I guided you to and from your soul room, you should be able to return there on your own, without my help./ /_ Meryet retracted her hand and eyed him.

"Why would I want to go back?" Kaiba sneered.

Meryet blinked at him. _/ /I will not force you to return, but I hope that you will change your mind. You can learn many interesting things from your soul room, and seeing how it changes as you change can lead to startling revelations. I believe that it would be beneficial for you to go back./ /_

"Whatever. It was a waste of time. Seemed like a lame place to me. And not exactly safe," Kaiba replied dismissively.

_/ /Perhaps that reflects that your mind is not a safe place./ /_

Kaiba threw her a nasty look. She was definitely getting on his nerves. Ignoring her, he looked over at his desk. There had been some things he had planned to do before he went to bed, but he wasn't sure he could focus on work right now. His earlier panic had been replaced by a heavy weariness that seemed to dull his senses. He hadn't even realized that he was so exhausted.

_/ /Visiting your soul room requires a great deal of energy. The first time is the hardest, and it becomes progressively less tiring each time you return there. The trip has exhausted you. I suggest that you leave your work for tomorrow and rest./ /_

Kaiba flinched. He kept forgetting how good she was at reading his thoughts. His first instinct was to snap at her and go right to work just to spite her, but he was tired…So tired…

He grunted in exasperation. "Fine." He frowned over at Meryet. "Well, Mira? Are you going to stand there and watch me sleep?"

She was good at hiding her emotions, but he sincerely hoped that she thought it was irritating that he called her Mira instead of Meryet. At least out loud, he didn't like to acknowledge her existence. And annoying her was a bonus.

_/ /No./ /_ It was frustrating how placid her tone was. _/ /I will be returning to my soul room now. Good night, Kaiba./ /_

The spirit vanished before his eyes, and he felt the strength of their link diminish. The bond itself was still there, but it felt as if Meryet had constricted it more, allowing enough of a connection for him to call to her if he wanted to, but cutting of most of his thoughts and emotions.

Kaiba narrowed his eyes. He didn't like how hard it was to get a rise out of the spirit. Sure he had seen her irritated and upset before, but she seemed to take most of his comments with a sort of resigned amusement that frustrated him to no end. She took even his most wounding remarks with grace. Anyone else would get angry and likely make a retort, if not yell, but not her. He didn't understand.

He didn't understand why she didn't seem to hate him like so many others did.

He worked so hard to push people away, yet she refused to back down. He sighed and shook his head. A strange case.

As he prepared himself for bed, his mind turned over the events of the day, trying to make sense of what had happened. Trying to figure out a way to fix it. Sadly, no plan came to mind. Except…She had said that breaking the mirror would get rid of her. He wasn't sure what would happen to her if he broke it, but he didn't really care. He would see if Ishizu had any ideas tomorrow, but if she couldn't come up with anything…

He slipped into bed, his thoughts still in turmoil. He didn't know how he would manage to fall asleep when his mind was so active, but as it turned out, he needn't have worried. The exhaustion from separating his mind and body was great enough to overcome the unrest of his mind, and after mere moments, he slept.


	4. Chapter 4

Kaiba yawned and stretched, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He had had such a strange dream last night… He rarely remembered his dreams anymore, but this newest one had been extremely vivid. And disturbing. Shuddering, he quickly got dressed and headed to work.

His long fingers stretched over the keyboard of his laptop, relentlessly tapping keys as his eyes skimmed over lines and lines of code. Kaiba Corp would be the greatest gaming company ever. He would make sure of it, even if he had to spend all of his waking moments working to make it so.

Catching a glimpse of movement out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at the other side of the room curiously. And froze. The ghostly form of a girl was floating beside the window, peering out at the scene outside. _What the…?_ The girl turned and raised an eyebrow at him.

_/ /Is something wrong, Kaiba?/ /_

Kaiba squeezed his eyes shut and resisted the urge to bang his head into his desk. That's right. It hadn't been a dream. There really _was_ a ghost living in his head.

_Of course there is. You're here._

_/ /I apologize. I would prefer it if I were back with Mira as well, but they said that Ishizu would call today with any information she might have, so hopefully we can correct this issue quickly./ /_

_She had better know how to fix this mess._

Or he would break that stupid mirror. Speaking of which… His hand dropped to the pocket of his trench coat, and he realized that the object was resting there. He scowled. He couldn't wait to be rid of it.

Meryet seemed to think better of responding, and turned back to her study of the outdoors.

Throughout the day, her constant presence irritated him to no end. He would be busily typing away or looking over contracts or holding a business meeting, and he'd catch a glimpse of her wandering around the room or standing at her usual post by the window. Either she was ignoring his irritation or he was getting better at concealing his emotions.

It was almost 5:00 by the time Ishizu called.

"Sir? Someone called Ishizu is asking for you on line one."

Kaiba briefly considered ignoring the call, but he couldn't risk passing up a chance to find a way to get rid of his new stalker.

"Wait five minutes and then put her through." He felt a small tug of disapproval, but ignored it, allowing his lips to curl up in smug satisfaction. At least he could make the woman wait a little.

"Kaiba? Mira and the Pharaoh explained your problem to me today," Ishizu said when he finally answered the phone.

"Well? Can you fix it?" he asked impatiently, not caring if he sounded rude.

"Actually, I was hoping you could come meet me at the museum later? I think it would be best if we could discuss this in person. This isn't something that should be discussed over the phone."

Kaiba was about to decline when he paused. Perhaps she had a point. His security measures were good for sure, but if one of his rivals had tapped his phone…The last thing he needed was rumors that he was going crazy.

"Fine." He glanced at the clock. Maybe he would leave work early for this. He _did_ want to solve this problem as soon as possible. "I'll be there in thirty minutes. And Ishizu? Make sure all their dorky friends aren't tagging along."

"It will just be Mira, Yugi, and the Pharaoh with me."

"Fine, whatever. I'll be there."

He hung up the phone and frowned into space for a moment. Then he quickly began packing up his briefcase, eager to be gone.

"Isono! I'm leaving early today."

He ignored his underling's shocked expression as he swept out of the building.

* * *

Meryet followed Kaiba absently, lost in her own thoughts. She had spent the day outside of the mirror, unwilling to spend any more time in there after her long night. While Kaiba was sleeping, she had been trying to contact Mira and Yami through their mindlink. The link was still there, but it was stretched too thin, weakened too far. There hadn't been any problem seeing or hearing each other when they had been face to face directly after the bond had been transferred, but now that they were farther apart, contact was much more difficult.

It was, in fact, painful. They could send messages, sure, but they were faint and sometimes garbled, and they gave Meryet a terrible headache and an uncomfortable ripping sensation, as if her spirit rejected sharing the bond with so many. They had all agreed that they would not use the link unless it was necessary. For now, Meryet was on her own.

Well, not completely. Her eyes slid to Kaiba as he strode purposefully into the museum, trench coat flaring dramatically behind him. He could be extremely annoying, but he was all she had right now, and she was certain that he was not as much of a jerk as he seemed to be. If only she could help him realize that.

"Tell me you found a way to get rid of this parasite," Kaiba said grumpily as he stopped in front of Ishizu and Meryet's friends. She studied them, Mira in particular, and offered them a wan smile, glad to see them again. Now that she was near them again, their link had reopened to an extent. She felt three simultaneous jabs of irritation.

_/ /It is alright/ / _She reassured them, knowing that they would have to get along with Kaiba for now, whether they liked it or not. Kaiba glanced over at her with a frown, and she felt his confusion.

"But he said-"

_/ /It does not matter./ / _Meryet cut Mira off firmly, giving her a stern yet fond look. She felt her irritated resignation.

"You are too understanding for your own good," Yami said dryly, having taken over Yugi's body.

_/ /Perhaps./ /_

Ishizu cleared her throat, clearly uncomfortable. "Well, I am afraid that I do not have the knowledge you seek."

Meryet felt Kaiba's urge to protest and start yelling, and acted quickly to forestall him. Drawing from her reserves of energy, she cast a spell, almost smiling at the yelps of surprise as she materialized. Even Ishizu could see her now, although she knew that she was still transparent.

"What…? How…? Have you always been able to do that?" Mira asked in shock.

Meryet's lips twitched upwards. "Yes, but it is very draining for me, so I rarely do it. I will not be able to maintain this form for long."

"Forget about that, what do you mean you don't know how to fix this?" Kaiba interrupted, unimpressed by her magic trick.

Ishizu sighed, quickly regaining her composure. "The Priestess was always a very mysterious figure. Even less is known of her than about the Nameless Pharaoh. And even less is known about the powers of her mirror. I do not know enough about the mirror to guess why it has acted like this."

Meryet smirked. "Of course not. The mirror's magic is very powerful. Did you think that I would allow knowledge of those powers to become common knowledge? I can think of no better way for an enemy to defeat me than by using knowledge of my power. Its magic will remain secret to all but me. And even to me, in some ways."

Ishizu frowned slightly. "I suppose that makes sense. I apologize that I was unable to find a way to help you, my Priestess."

"It is alright, Isis," Meryet said absently, her mind turning inwards.

"Isis?" Yami frowned. Meryet's head jerked up and she blinked at the four sets of eyes looking at her in confusion.

"My Priestess…?" Ishizu asked hesitantly. Something about the way she said it, the way her eyes looked, drew Meryet into the memory.

* * *

_I see her sitting by the fountain, staring into its depths as if she could find the answers she seeks in its waters. I feel a tug of compassion. I have felt her pain before. I walk towards her and stop beside her._

_ "__Isis?" _

_She looks up at me, eyes widening as she realizes that she is no longer alone._

_ "__High Priestess," she breaths. "Can I help you with something?"_

_My eyes soften in sympathy. "No, but perhaps I can be of service to you? You are distressed. Has the burden of the Millennium Necklace become heavier?"_

_She blinks in surprise. "The burden? Why would you say that it is a burden? It is a gift, is it not?"_

_ "__The others would say so. But you and I both know that this is not always the case, yes?"_

_She exhales softly. "I suppose so. It can be a great gift at times, but…sometimes it is too much. I do not wish to see all the pain in the future, especially knowing that having seen it once, I will still have to experience it again."_

_ "__I know. The mirror shows me glimpses of the future sometimes. It chooses the most painful events, but I have no context, no way to know when they will occur. No way to even attempt to stop them. The others do not understand the burden we carry, but I think that perhaps I comprehend your dilemma better than you think."_

_Her gaze turns thoughtful. "You may be right. Thank you, Meryet."_

_I shake off her thanks, knowing that I do not deserve it. "If you ever wish to talk with someone who understands, you are always welcome to come to me. Good day."_

_I walk away, but her grateful eyes are imprinted in my mind forever. I cannot atone for all the wrongs that I have committed and that I will commit, but perhaps I can make a difference in this woman's life._

* * *

Meryet gasped, her eyes snapping open as she took a half step forward. Her gaze refocused on the present day, revealing four figures staring at her.

"Meryet? Are you alright?" Mira asked, concerned. Meryet didn't answer right away, closing her eyes for a brief moment, her hand rubbing her temple as if she could brush away the traces of the memory. She snapped her eyes open, gathering her previous confidence and collectedness.

"Of course. As I was saying, there is no way that you would know how to even begin to understand the mechanics behind this situation. In fact, I am unsure of the details and exact purpose myself. The mirror's workings have always been mysterious. However, I think that I may have an idea."

She grimaced slightly, knowing that none of them would like her theory. Especially Kaiba. "The mirror was created to be cursed. Its powers are powers of darkness and shadow. It has had a greater effect on me than I would like to admit." She frowned. "But I believe that I have also impacted it. It does, at time, bend to my will."

"You're saying that you wanted this to happen?" Kaiba interrupted incredulously.

"No. But right before the swap occurred I had been discussing you with Mira. I was…reflecting on your personality and your faults, I suppose. And I did mention that I wished someone would help you. I fear that the mirror may have taken that a little too literally."

"That's ridiculous," Kaiba growled.

"Wait, so what exactly do you think you have to do in order for the bond to be transferred back?" Yami asked, his expression knitted with concern and confusion.

"I would not presume to know exactly what it will take for the mirror to relent," Meryet said carefully, not wanting to give away too much. "Suffice it to say that I believe that it thinks that I can help Kaiba in some way, and that once this task has been fulfilled, the bond will be returned to the way it was."

Mira opened her mouth to argue, knowing that Meryet wasn't telling them everything she knew or suspected, but closed it again.

_/I'm sure you have a good reason./_

_/ /Yes. The less Kaiba knows, the more willing he will be to tolerate my presence./ /_

Meryet felt Mira's mental nod as she released the bond. She had constricted it slightly to make sure that Kaiba could not hear her communication with Mira. She had the feeling that it was her task to help him open his heart, but he definitely wasn't going to go along willingly.

"Well, I hope that it works out for you. If you need my assistance, I will be available to help you. Good luck, Priestess."

"Thank you Isi-Ishizu," Meryet replied, frowning at her lapse. She felt another tug of memory and rubbed her temple once again in an attempt to push it away. _Get out of my head! It is gone, she is gone. Leave well enough alone and stop torturing me with what I have lost!_ She hoped that she had enough control over the link that the full extent of her emotions hadn't leaked through.

"Are you sure that you are alright?" Yami asked carefully, eyes narrowed in concern.

She nodded. "Now, if you do not mind, I would like to release this form. It is very tiring to maintain." With a final nod goodbye to Ishizu, she let go of the spell, sighing in relief as her energy stopped flowing away.

_/ /I will see you when this is all over. Goodbye, for now./ /_

Their goodbyes broke her heart, but she turned away as Kaiba turned to leave. And she didn't look back.

* * *

Kaiba was angry. That woman had called him all the way to the museum just to tell him that she didn't have any idea of how to help him? And what was Meryet hiding? She certainly wasn't telling the entire truth, he could tell that much.

Come to think of it, what had been wrong with her back there? She had seemed fine, but then she had called that Ishtar woman Isis instead of Ishizu. And then she had gotten this really blank look on her face and closed her eyes. Her mind had retreated, as if her consciousness was a thousand miles away, and quick jabs of emotion had kept stabbing through the link. And when she had finally opened her eyes again, she had a strange look on her face until she got herself under control. And a few minutes later, when she almost said the name Isis again, he had felt flashes of anger and pain and frustration through the bond. Only for a second before she closed off her emotions again, but it had been there.

He shook his head. It didn't matter. What mattered was that he was stuck with her. Smashing the mirror was looking more tempting by the second.

Even though Meryet had spent the day wandering his office, she had disappeared into her soul room right after she had said goodbye to her friends. She had withdrawn her mind to an unprecedented extent, so she clearly did not want to talk to him right now. Which was just as well. The last thing he needed right now was another voice in his head.

He briefly contemplated returning to Kaiba Corp, but reluctantly dismissed the notion. As much as he loved his work, he was too frustrated and tired to really want to go back. Perhaps he would retire early again tonight. Yes, that's what he would do.

He stepped into his limo and looked vacantly out the window as he was driven back to his mansion.

* * *

**Note: Although I usually write in third person past tense, I write characters' memories in first person present tense. I know it's kind of weird, but I have reasons.**


	5. Chapter 5

It was three days later when Kaiba finally snapped. The spirit had spent the past days wandering around outside the mirror. It almost seemed like she was trying to keep out of his way, being quiet and keeping out of his line of sight, but he kept catching glimpses of her, and it was driving him crazy. And it certainly didn't help that some of Kaiba Corp's servers had crashed. He had spent most of the day dealing with disgruntled employees and trying to get the servers up and running again.

So he was already frustrated and angry when he caught yet another glimpse of Meryet staring out the window of his office.

"What in the world are you doing, Mira? You've been wandering around for days now," he said harshly, his eyes narrowing into a glare. The spirit turned to face him.

_/ /Does my presence disturb you?/ /_ Her tone was unreadable.

"Of course it does! I thought you said that you'd keep out of my way."

She nodded slowly and sighed. _/ /Alright. I will depart for now./ /_

She vanished back into her soul room, and Kaiba couldn't help but feel a little disappointed that she hadn't put up a fight. He really wanted to yell some more.

* * *

"I said no!" Kaiba spat, ignoring the hurt in Mokuba's voice. His day had already gone poorly enough. He didn't need his clingy little brother making it worse.

"But Seto-"

"No. Not today. Maybe tomorrow." Kaiba turned away and stormed up the stairs, a headache forming behind his eyes. No, there was no way he would be eating with his brother tonight. Tonight he just wanted to be alone.

But it was not to be.

_/ /That was uncalled for, Kaiba./ /_

Kaiba glared at Meryet as she materialized beside him. "It was much nicer when you were gone," he said dryly, shutting the door to his room. The spirit had disappeared all day after his outburst, but now she was back. He could speak to her via the mindlink, but at the moment it seemed more satisfying to speak out loud. And he was spoiling for a fight.

The spirit didn't respond to his remark, instead watching him guardedly. _/Why do you treat your brother like this? I know that you love him, but is your heart really so twisted that you cannot show it?/_

Kaiba's eyes narrowed even further. "He's _my _brother and I will treat him how I see fit."

_/ /That is not really an excuse./ /_

"It is so. This has nothing to do with you, anyway. So you can go hide in your soul room or whatever again." Meryet's eyes narrowed in turn.

_/ /You expect me to say nothing? Can you not see how much you hurt him?/ /_

"Whatever. It doesn't matter."

_/ /It does not matter? Your brother means nothing to you? His feelings do not matter?/ /_ She was definitely getting upset now. He could feel her anger seeping through the link.

"I didn't say that."

_/ /You did not have to./ /_

"Shut up! None of this concerns you. All I want to do is get rid of you. You have no place here, so don't lecture me!" He was yelling now, his face contorted in rage. He didn't care who heard him at this point. All of the stress from the day was catching up to him now, and he was releasing it.

"You're just some stupid parasite that won't go away. And now I'm stuck with you until we somehow find a way out of this mess. How long is that going to take, huh? How long am I going to have to deal with you? Because I don't have the patience to do it much longer. As a matter of fact…" He pulled out the mirror and gave it a contemptuous look. "There _is_ a way to get rid of you right now, isn't there?"

_/ /Kaiba…/ /_

"Why don't you want me to break it? You said that it would get rid of you, right?"

_/ /Yes, but-/ /_

"Then what are we waiting for?" Kaiba snarled, his fury finally boiling over. He ignored the jumble of emotions that leaked through the bond and didn't give Meryet a chance to respond.

With a dark smirk he raised the mirror above his head and brought it down, smashing its glass into a thousand pieces.

As soon as the mirror broke, his body was wracked with pain, and he gasped, beginning to regret his rash action. But the pain…Actually, it wasn't his body that felt it. It was as if his very soul was being shredded. But it wasn't his pain, not really. He felt a muted version of it, but it all came from the link. From Meryet.

He turned to look at the transparent spirit, only to see that she had collapsed to the ground, writhing in pain.

"…Mira?"

The form beside him vanished. Well, at least she was gone. That's what he had wanted, right? But then why didn't it feel right? And to be honest, she wasn't really gone. He could still feel her through the bond, and he could still feel her pain, although little by little it seemed to ebb away. He had the feeling that her pain wasn't really lessening though. Was she blocking it from the link so that he wouldn't feel it? But why would she do that, after he had caused it in the first place?

Soon the pain had mostly dissipated, although he could still feel twinges of it through the link. He stood in the middle of his room, staring at the shattered shards of glass littering the floor and wondering what to do next. She had said that breaking the mirror would get rid of her, so why wasn't she gone? He had a horrible feeling that something was not quite right here. Maybe it would be best if he found her and asked her what was going on. But where was she? Her soul room? She must be.

Feeling his anger drain away and fear take its place, Kaiba closed his eyes and remembered the feeling he had first experienced a few days earlier when Meryet had taken him to his soul room.

_Did it work?_ He opened his eyes and found himself standing in the gloomy hallway again. He turned away from his door and rested a hand on Meryet's. She had said not to come in here alone, but…

He took a deep breath and pushed the door open. He gasped as he took in the view. It looked as if she had been right. This place really was a labyrinth. Or had been, anyway. He could still see winding hallways and countless doors branching off of the main entrance room, but all the ceilings and walls seemed to have collapsed in on themselves. The place was a ruin now. A broken, dying place.

And right there in the entrance chamber, trapped underneath a fallen pillar, was Meryet. She was sprawled on the ground pinned under broken stones, her eyes closed.

Kaiba took a hesitant step towards her. "Mira?"

"Have you not done enough, Kaiba? Leave. You got your wish." Her voice was flat, but he could read traces of pain in it. Her eyes remained closed.

He hesitated again, unsure of what to do now. "So…You're really going to leave then?"

"Yes," she said shortly.

"But you aren't going back to Mira, are you?"

"No."

"What will happen to you?"

"In a few minutes, when the mirror has not been reassembled, I will disappear." Her tone was emotionless, but Kaiba thought he felt a flicker of pain and fear through the bond.

"What do you mean, disappear?" he asked cautiously.

"My soul is bound to the mirror. That would be why my soul room is currently destroyed. It reflects the state of the mirror as well as my mind. After a certain time has passed, with nothing left to anchor me to this world, my soul will slip into oblivion. I do not know exactly what will happen, but I will be gone. Now will you please leave?"

Kaiba thought about her words for a few moments. Of course he wanted her gone, but he didn't necessarily want her to die. Or disappear or whatever. He shouldn't care, but…

"Is there a way to stop it?"

"Yes."

He waited, but Meryet didn't continue.

"Well? What is it?"

"Forget it, Kaiba," she said tiredly. "It would require me to cast magic, and in order to do that, I would have to assume control of your body. Which I swore that I would not do."

"No," Kaiba said slowly. "You promised that you wouldn't take control of it unless it was necessary. Doesn't this count as necessary?"

Her head moved slightly and one ice blue eye cracked open to study him. "Hm. Maybe. But performing that spell at the museum weakened me greatly, and I have still not completely recovered. And the destruction of the mirror has taken an even greater toll on me. Under normal circumstances I would have little problem assuming control, but I do not have the strength to fight you right now."

"Then don't fight me," Kaiba said, grimacing. He hoped he wouldn't regret this. "I'll give you control. But just long enough to do your stupid spell or whatever."

Her other eye opened and he felt a quick spike of confusion from her. "You like control too much, Kaiba. I am not sure that you are capable of willingly giving it up yet, even if you wanted to."

Kaiba scowled. "I can do whatever I want. Are you going to do this or not? I don't have all day. And by the looks of it, neither do you."

She remained silent for a moment. "Are you sure? I will not take control if you do not wish it."

"Just hurry it up before I change my mind," he snapped. He thought he felt a tug of amusement through the link, but it disappeared quickly, replaced by a searing pain, which was also cut off as quickly as it had come.

"Alright then. Return to your body. I am sure that you can do it by yourself this time."

Kaiba studied her for a moment before shrugging. He remembered the feeling when he had returned to his body last time, and when he opened his eyes again, he found himself in his body, sprawled across the floor in the midst of broken glass. He frowned. He hadn't been lying on the floor when he had left.

_/ /Why do you think I told you to lie down when you went to your soul room? Without your mind to control it, your body will collapse. How can you remain standing when there is nothing controlling your body?/ /_

He supposed that she was right, but he was concerned at how faint her thought was. Then again, why should he care? It made him uneasy that he was unable to truly understand his own motivations.

_/ /Are you ready?/ /_

_As ready as I'll ever be._

_/ /Alright. I will help guide you, but the most important thing to remember is that you have to let go of your control and allow me to push you away./ /_

_ …__Okay?_

Kaiba didn't really understand what she was talking about, but after a moment, he felt a strange sensation. It was as if her consciousness had somehow enveloped his and was gently tugging him away from his body, asking for control. His immediate instinct was to tighten his control even more and he stiffened and offered resistance. But after a moment he forced himself to relax and allowed Meryet to guide him as he slipped out of his body.

Looking around, he realized that he was now transparent and standing beside his limp body. He felt Meryet's consciousness slip into the empty body, and his eyes opened. It was rather disturbing, to be honest. They were his eyes, yet they weren't. They definitely had Meryet's spark in them, although at the moment they were clouded in pain.

They were looking directly at him.

_/ /Are you sure that you are alright, Kaiba?/ /_

_Yeah, yeah, just hurry up. This is weird and I want my body back. Besides, shouldn't you be more worried about yourself right now? You're the one disappearing here._

She chuckled, the sound coming from his body's vocal chords but sounding distinctly like her. With one last concerned glance in his direction, she turned to look at the broken mirror. Taking a breath, she began to chant something in another language. Something Kaiba could almost understand, but not quite. The words were strange, but so familiar at the same time.

There was a flash of light and the shards of glass rearranged themselves in the metal frame, fitting together seamlessly, the cracks disappearing. Kaiba stared in wonder. The mirror was whole again, without even a scratch. But magic didn't exist… With a growl he shook his nonexistent head.

_Are you done?_

_/ /Just a moment./ /_

The spirit took a deep breath and stared directly into the mirror's depths, but Kaiba didn't know what she was searching for. For a moment her mind seemed to retreat, as distant as it had been a few days ago at the museum when she had started acting strangely and calling Ishizu 'Isis'. There was a flash of pain and hurt through the bond, different from the agony she had been feeling earlier. It disappeared quickly as she blocked it from the link. Her mind seemed to refocus, and she looked over at him.

_/ /Alright. I think that I will rest now./ /_

He felt her leave his body and gently nudge him back into it. He felt its familiar weightiness and breathed a sigh of relief. It was good to be back. For a moment Meryet's ghostly form appeared beside him, but after giving him a nod and a thoughtful look, she vanished, presumably back to her soul room.

Kaiba was left alone again with his thoughts. He had had the chance to be free again, but he had rejected it. Why? Was the cost too high? Since when did he care about costs? All he cared about was himself. And Mokuba. Right? So why…?

Shaking his head in confusion and frustration, he slipped into his bed and fell into an uneasy slumber.


	6. Chapter 6

Kaiba supposed that it was only natural for Meryet to keep away from him over the next few days. Four days after he broke the mirror, she still hadn't emerged to talk to him, and he couldn't exactly blame her. He _had_ almost killed her, after all.

He could still feel her through the link a little, although she had mostly closed it off. So he knew that she was still there. What he didn't know was if she was actually okay. After the mirror had broken she had been so weak and in so much pain. He shouldn't care, but he couldn't help but feel a touch guilty. It _had_ been his fault, after all.

She seemed stronger at least, but she obviously didn't want to talk to him. Which would normally be fine with him, except that he wanted her gone for good, which most likely required communicating with her, seeing as she was the only one with any idea of what was going on. And now he had made her angry enough that she didn't even come out anymore. She used to be out all the time, and now…

_/ /You said that my presence disturbed you./ /_

Kaiba jumped, unused to thoughts coming through the link after Meryet's long absence. Well, at least she had finally said something, even if he wasn't quite sure where it was going.

_Yes…So?_

_/ /So I am honoring your wishes./ /_

He blinked. Was she saying that she had stayed in her soul room not because she was angry, but because he had told her to in a fit of anger?

_/ /Pretty much./ /_

_ …__Why aren't you angry? You should be angry._

_/ /Perhaps I am. But I never told you the other consequences of breaking the mirror. As far as you knew, it was an easy way to get rid of me. You did not know what else would happen./ /_

_ …__I probably still would have broken it._

_/ /That would not have surprised me. You were extremely angry./ /_ He felt a distinct twinge of amusement from the spirit.

_Well…I guess you can come out now._

_/ /At some point I will have to, but if you are not ready for me to come forth, then you need not ask me to./ /_

_Just come out here already._

He felt her mixture of amusement and hesitation for a moment before she appeared beside him, eyeing him warily.

"You look better," he said neutrally. "Not that that's saying much."

Meryet just chuckled. _/ /Well, I have had a few days to recover. I will still be weak for a while, but I am no longer in any immediate danger./ /_

"So your soul room isn't all collapsed anymore? Or has it always been a caved-in mess?" His voice took on a dry tone.

_/ /It was repaired when the mirror was./ /_

"You weren't kidding when you said it was a labyrinth, were you?" It wasn't quite a question.

_/ /Of course not./ /_

"I guess it gives you something to do while you're stuck there. What do you do all day in there? Wander around?"

_/ /More or less./ / _

"Do you think…I mean…"

_/ /Yes, you can come see it if you wish. Did I not tell you that you are welcome to visit it whenever you want as long as I am with you?/ /_

"Oh." Kaiba frowned, trying to figure out whether or not he actually wanted to see her soul room. He shouldn't care, but he was rather curious to see where she spent all her time. "Alright."

_/ /Then let us go./ /_

"Right now?" he asked in surprise.

_/ /It is 11:00 at night, Mokuba is asleep, and you are no longer at work, but sitting in your bedroom doing nothing more important than talking to a dead girl. Is there really a better time?/ /_

Kaiba smirked. "I suppose not."

Returning to the hallway linking their soul rooms was much easier this time, and he found himself in front of Meryet's door with little difficulty.

"Practice makes perfect," Meryet drawled from beside him, almost making him jump as she appeared. Luckily he managed not to. He had been doing too much of that lately, and it wounded his pride. "Well, maybe not perfect. You could still use a little work." She gave him a sly half smile.

"Hmpf."

She chuckled. "Well, welcome to the mirror's labyrinth," she remarked grandly, pushing open the door. Kaiba followed her inside, and realized that it was much more impressive now that it wasn't crumbling and falling apart. It was decorated in a distinctly Egyptian style, hieroglyphics and symbols carved into its sandstone walls and floors. Long hallways stretched in all directions from the antechamber, each lined with thousands of doors.

He blinked in amazement. "Wow…Wait, did you say welcome to the _mirror_? I thought this was your soul room?"

She frowned slightly and didn't look at him. "Well, technically it is a construct of the mirror that my soul is trapped in. I have a true soul room in here somewhere, but in five thousand years of searching, I have never found it. Not that I expected to," she added as an afterthought. "If I am correct, it holds a very important secret that even I cannot know until the time is right."

"You're saying that there's a labyrinth in the mirror?" He gave her a disbelieving look.

"Not exactly," she said patiently. "It is…complicated. And involves magic, which I know that you do not approve of." She smirked slightly. "Suffice it to say that this is a manifestation of my mind that is directly linked to the mirror."

He just shook his head. "Whatever."

"I think it would be in your best interests if we do not spend too much time in here, but I suppose I can give you a quick tour."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why shouldn't we spend too long here? You spend all day here." He raised an eyebrow.

She frowned slightly. "Because I am not exactly alone in here. Well…I am, but I am not." She shook her head. "It is complicated."

"What in the world are you talking about?" Kaiba asked in confusion.

"Well…The mirror's power is derived from shadow magic, and it has some very nasty curses in place on it. One is that this maze is also inhabited by shadow creatures. They mostly leave me alone now because I am strong enough to fight them, although when I am weakened they can sometimes gain the upper hand." Her face darkened, and Kaiba wondered what exactly had happened here after the mirror broke. "But they will target you. Hopefully they will not attempt anything because you are with me, and I can protect you if they do, but they can be sneaky. And there are also a lot of traps in here that you could wander into," she added offhandedly.

"Right…" Kaiba wasn't sure that he believed in any shadow creatures, but he could at least humor her since he had almost killed her.

She motioned for him to follow her and took off down one of the hallways briskly. "The labyrinth is divided into three main sections. The first is from my life in ancient Egypt. The hallways are a lot more elaborate and have more wall paintings, hieroglyphics, and other Egyptian touches. The third is from my current… 'life'. You will be able to tell that it is a little more modern looking. The second, middle, part is the largest, and dates from the time when I was locked in the mirror. We will be entering it soon. You can tell it apart because it is much darker and gloomier. The shadows are strongest there."

"What's behind the doors?" Kaiba asked curiously.

She shrugged. "Some have nothing behind them. Some have traps. I trapped some of the more dangerous shadow creatures behind some of them. Some hold my memories."

"So…Do you know what's behind each door? They all look the same to me."

"No. There are too many to know them all, and you are right that many of them appear identical. However, not all of them look the same. I mark the ones where I trap shadows, and the ones that hold my memories tend to be more distinctive."

"Distinctive?"

"You will see."

Kaiba frowned, unsure of how much of this to believe. It sounded rather fishy to him. "How do you store memories in rooms?"

"Well, keep in mind that they are not really 'rooms' in the normal sense of the word. They are more like compartments of the mind where you can store information. I am unsure of how other people would store their memories, but as for me, there are visions locked in some of the rooms. If you entered them, you would be able to actually experience my memories. I have organized them in various ways. I have different rooms for different people, different types of experiences, different specific feelings, et cetera. Goodness knows how I keep track of them all."

"Oh." They walked in silence for a few seconds. "You have a room with all your memories of me?"

"Yes," she said cautiously. "Perhaps I will show it to you one day, but I do not think that you are ready yet."

Kaiba bristled at her implications. Not ready? Why ever not? Well whatever. It wasn't like he really cared anyway.

He noticed that the atmosphere was changing as they continued walking. It was growing more oppressive, darkness closing in around them. The stone of the walls and floor took on a chipped and weathered look, and he could have sworn that he saw flickers of movement out of the corner of his eye.

"It is the shadows," Meryet explained, seeing his look. "They are strongest here."

"This is a really creepy place. I don't know why you spend so much time here."

She raised an eyebrow. "Because you asked me to."

Kaiba frowned again. Come to think of it, she _had_ spent most of her time outside of the mirror in the days before he had yelled at her. "Oh. That's why you kept wandering around my office."

She nodded. "I spent five thousand years trapped in this place. It is not my first choice of refuge. But I _am_ bound here, so when I am trying not to interfere too much with my host's life, I stay here."

He almost felt guilty. Almost. "You can come out again if you want," he grumbled grudgingly, not wanting it to sound like an apology. Seto Kaiba never apologized.

Meryet chuckled dryly. "It is alright. I know that you do not much appreciate my presence, and you did not ask for this. It makes sense for me to stay out of your way unless we need to communicate."

"Look, you don't have to spend your time in here when there's a perfectly good world outside. Come out instead of moping in here. Just stay out of my way." Kaiba didn't look at Meryet, although he felt a spike of confusion from her. He was definitely going soft.

"I…Thank you," she murmured, looking away.

Kaiba grunted in acknowledgement but said nothing else.

They walked far enough for him to see all three sections of the maze before Meryet led him back to the antechamber.

"Alright. I think that is enough for tonight, although you are welcome to visit again whenever you wish." She opened the door for him so that he could leave. He stepped into the hallway, but she made no move to follow him. "Goodnight."

"Aren't you coming? I thought I told you that you could come out of the mirror now," Kaiba growled in irritation. He felt amusement through the bond.

"I imagine that you are going to be going to bed shortly, so unless you want me to watch you sleep, I will stay in here." Her eyes sparkled in amusement.

Kaiba flushed slightly. "I forgot about that. Goodnight then."

He turned to walk away, but then paused. He still felt as if he owed her something. Not an apology exactly, but shouldn't he make it up to her somehow? He _had_ almost destroyed her, after all.

"Well…I suppose since I've seen your soul room, it's only fair that you see mine," he said slowly, not sure that he wanted her in his room, but feeling as if it would be a good symbolic gesture without him actually having to apologize. And in any case, he felt indebted to her. And Seto Kaiba hated being in debt.

He could feel Meryet's gaze on his back. "Kaiba, you do not owe me anything. A soul room is a very private place. If you do not want to share it with me, that is alright. Do not invite me in just because you think that you owe it to me."

Kaiba turned back to her and frowned. "Well, you said that it could help me understand myself, right? I can't make much sense of it, but you can find symbolism in pretty much anything," he said dryly. "Come help me figure it out." He played his trump card. "Otherwise there won't be any reason for me to go back." He glanced at her slyly, trying to hide a smirk.

She still seemed unsure, but nodded slowly. "I suppose…"

He moved across the hall and entered his room. He frowned as he realized that the spirit hadn't followed him in, and looked back at her. She was standing in the doorway, looking around hesitantly.

"Are you sure, Kaiba?"

"Come _on,_ Mira. I have to sleep eventually, so hurry up," he snapped shortly. She took a few careful steps inside the room and examined it. "Well? What do you think?" To be honest, Kaiba hadn't really cared what she thought before, but he was suddenly curious to see if she could actually make sense of his room.

"Well…It looks very damaged. That would suggest that you are damaged emotionally. You have built your self-image on a house of cards that could come crashing down at any moment." She waved her hand at the cracks shooting through the ceilings and walls.

"I'm not damaged," Kaiba retorted hotly.

Meryet just shrugged and continued. "In that one corner there are so many cracks and pieces of broken flooring that it looks like there is something or someone in your past that has shaken the very foundation of your self-image."

Someone who had shaken his foundations…Gozaboru. He felt his hands clench into fists as a wave of anger and hatred swept over him. But then it was as if a surge of comfort covered him soothingly, brushing aside some of his negative emotions. Surprised, he looked up to see Meryet studying him with a worried expression.

"Kaiba? Are you alright?"

"Yes," he said tonelessly. Had she been comforting him through the bond?

"Would you like me to go? We can stop now if you want," she murmured, her concern for him leaking through the bond. Even after everything he had done to her, she was still concerned for him. He shook his head. He would never understand her.

"No, no," he said impatiently. "Go ahead."

She hesitated for a moment before resuming her monologue. Kaiba was grateful that she didn't ask about what had just happened.

"Even Blue Eyes has cracks in it," she observed, looking up at the statue hanging above them. "Perhaps that would reflect some sort of insecurity in your dueling. A lack of faith in what Yami and the others might call the Heart of the Cards, perhaps?"

"I am _not_ insecure about dueling," Kaiba said, eyes narrowing angrily. He was starting to really regret inviting her in here.

She shrugged. "Maybe it just means that you do not have as deep a connection with your creatures as you could." Ignoring his indignant spluttering, she moved on to study the picture of Mokuba hanging on one of the walls. "Well, there is only one picture in here. I would guess that means that your brother is the only person who really has a place in your heart. But the portrait is fading and covered in cracks. Your relationship is damaged and fading. Perhaps as you improve and strengthen it, the cracks will disappear."

"I actually figured that one out, thanks," Kaiba muttered darkly.

Meryet arched an eyebrow at him. "Then do something about it." Not waiting for him to answer, she continued. "All these cards and papers strewn everywhere…I suppose it reflects how important dueling and work are to you. And perhaps signifies that you use those activities to cover over any insecurities you may have. You let them take over your life."

"Once again, I do _not_ have any insecurities!" Kaiba almost shouted. The spirit simply ignored him.

"The boardroom table and laptop are just manifestations of your work, I would guess. Although perhaps the fact that the computer does not work signifies that your work is not as healing to you as you may think." Something else caught her attention. "There is another door in here? Have you looked at it, Kaiba?"

Grumbling, Kaiba walked over to it. "Oh yes. _I_ think it's a load of nonsense, but you're going to love this." He opened it and watched her enter and look around, her eyes widening.

"Amazing…I never thought…never thought that it was possible…" A wave of nostalgia and sadness briefly touched the link before disappearing again. "I will not go into very much detail here, because you will not believe most of it anyway. And in any case, this is not really your soul room. I mean, it is, but it is not." She frowned.

"It's complicated?" he guessed, rolling his eyes. "What do you mean it's not my room but it is?"

"Well…I believe that this is the soul room of the High Priest Seth, and that it has been attached to your room since you have some sort of link to him."

"Oh great. How did I know that this would lead to more of that ancient Egypt nonsense?"

Meryet shrugged again. "You do not have to believe it if you do not wish to, but I think that there is a lesson you can take from here. When I first met Seth, he was very much like you-cold, arrogant, and selfish."

"Thanks for that," Kaiba muttered, but the spirit continued over him.

"Some almost gave up on him, but I could tell that he had a good heart, if only he could thaw it." She gave him a contemplative look. "Over time he changed. He opened up and began letting more people in. I am not saying that he suddenly turned into a warm and open person, but he definitely improved, and was a great friend in his own way. The proof is there."

She pointed to the line of portraits along one of the walls. "You have only one in your soul room, but he has several. I am sure that his soul room looked rather like yours in the beginning."

"Well don't look now, but he seems to have liked your look-alike," Kaiba said dryly, motioning to the picture of the person who looked very similar to the spirit. He immediately felt a flash of pain and sadness that dissipated as quickly as it had come.

Meryet moved towards the portrait and examined it. "That is no look-alike."

"What?" he asked in surprise.

"It is me."

"Guess I should have seen that one coming," he muttered dryly. "I thought you were friends," he added slyly. "That huge gash across your face seems to suggest otherwise."

Meryet sighed heavily, her slim fingers hesitantly tracing the tear in the portrait before dropping back to her side. "Yes. That would be my fault."

Kaiba blinked in shock. "Your fault?"

"Yes. I hurt him deeply. But it looks like the tear was mending. Perhaps he really _did_ forgive me later on." She studied the portrait intently, a strangely melancholy look in her eyes.

"Good grief, what did you do?" Kaiba asked in amazement. He never thought she had it in her to hurt someone that badly.

She just shook her head. "You do not believe any of this anyway. Besides, it is getting very late, and your mind needs to rest. We should go."

They walked back out into the hallway in silence. But before he left, Kaiba had one more question.

"Mira?"

"Hm?" She turned to face him.

"When I broke the mirror…It hurt you terribly, didn't it?" he asked slowly, hesitantly.

"…Yes," she said carefully.

"And I assume that it did not just go away right away either. So, did you block it from the link?"

"Yes. I saw no need for you to experience my pain."

"But why?" This had been bothering him for days now. "Why did you prevent me from feeling the anguish I caused you? I broke the mirror and am the reason you felt it in the first place. So why?"

She seemed to consider the question. "Because," she said slowly, "even after what you did, I did not think that you deserved to experience that. I will spare you any pain that I can. Because Kaiba, I can see past your façade, and I think that you have a heart worth saving."

Kaiba blinked at her, trying to process her words. She thought he had a good heart? Even after how cruel he was to her and everyone else?

"While we are on this topic," the spirit continued thoughtfully, "Why did you save me? You would have got what you wanted. I would have been gone and you would not have had to suffer my presence anymore. I know how hard it was for you to relinquish control of your body, how much you hated it, but you did it anyway. Why?" She peered at him curiously.

Why indeed. That question had been haunting Kaiba ever since he had relented and given Meryet a second chance. It certainly wasn't in character, that was for sure. The truth was, he didn't really know. And that irritated him.

In the end, he settled for one of his trademark snippy answers.

"The pain that did slip through the link was distracting and annoying. And I still want a rematch. It's hard to beat you at a duel when you aren't here anymore," he grumbled.

The spirit seemed to ignore his words, instead looking deep into his eyes. Whatever she saw there seemed to satisfy her, and she smiled slightly.

"Well, thank you."

Kaiba cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Yeah, whatever." He hesitated. "But…You had some interesting insights into my soul room. Do you…do you think that I can change it?"

Do you think that _I _can change?

She studied him carefully before giving him a broad smile. "Of course. Why else would I be here?"

He blinked in surprise. "Is that why you think you're here? To help me…What? Change?"

She considered it for a moment. "That is my best guess, Kaiba. I think that I am here to help you heal, change, open your heart. I will try to fix what is broken, and then perhaps I can move on."

"I'm not broken," he muttered.

"Of course not," she said fondly. "Just pieces of you. Anyway, you should return to your body. Your mind needs as much rest as your body does."

Kaiba nodded slowly and walked away.

* * *

Meryet leaned back against the wall of her soul room and stared thoughtfully into its depths. She had been worried that she would never be able to get Kaiba to change, that she would be stuck here forever, but perhaps there was hope. He had saved her when he did not need to, and, indeed, could have finally gotten rid of her.

And not only that. He seemed to be changing little by little. His comments were still cold and sarcastic, but his emotions did not always match them. She could feel his confusion. He still wasn't sure why he did all the things he did. He found it frustrating, but she thought that it might be a good sign. It meant that he was doing things that were normally out of character for him. And it seemed like he actually had good intentions sometimes, and was not only helping her in order to help himself.

Perhaps the shattering of the mirror had not been so terrible as she had thought. Sure, the pain had been almost unbearable, and she had been tortured by the shadows relentlessly until she got enough strength back to fight them again, but it had gotten Kaiba to do a good deed, so to speak. And give up control, however briefly.

That was the key to mending his broken relationships. Sometimes you have to step back and let someone else take the lead, or act as equals. No one could be in control at all times and expect to have close bonds.

She couldn't help but smile slightly. Slowly but surely, Kaiba was changing. And as strange as it sounded, she was proud of him.


	7. Chapter 7

_/ /Kaiba?/ /_

Kaiba turned with a frown, to see Meryet floating beside him as he walked through the kitchen.

_/ /Mokuba just said good morning./ /_

He blinked and looked toward the kitchen table. Sure enough, his younger brother was sitting there, looking at him expectantly.

"Oh. Good morning, Mokuba. Hurry up and get ready for school." He hid a wince at how dismissive his tone sounded.

_/ /Maybe you should eat breakfast with him./ /_

_What? Why? I need to get to Kaiba Corp. I have important things to do. And I don't eat breakfast._

_/ /Yes, but your brother is important too, is he not? It will only take maybe fifteen minutes at most. You want to mend your relationship with him? It starts with the small things./ /_

Kaiba sighed and glanced at his watch. His first instinct was to ignore the spirit. He didn't take orders from anyone, and he was ready to get to work. There was an important merger he had to broker today. But…She did have a point. He looked back at Mokuba.

"Mokuba?" His brother had already gotten up to leave, a disappointed look on his face, but stopped when he heard his name. He turned back hopefully.

"Yes, Seto?"

"Would you…like to eat breakfast with me?" Kaiba asked slowly, trying not to sound impatient.

Mokuba blinked at him in surprise for a moment. "Really? That's great! Sure!"

As they settled down to eat, Kaiba listened to his brother cheerfully talk about what was going on in school and what his friends were doing.

_How can he be so happy this early?_

_/ /It has nothing to do with the time. He is happy because you are making time for him./ /_

Kaiba supposed this was true, but refused to acknowledge the implications. He had the feeling that if he let Meryet get started, she would give him a whole lecture about how he should spend more time with his brother, and he didn't want to hear it.

"Are you getting sick?" he asked suddenly, frowning at Mokuba.

"…No. Why do you ask?" Mokuba responded in confusion.

"You usually eat as much as three people, but you've barely touched your meal today," Kaiba said with a concerned look.

"Oh. I guess I'm just not that hungry today." Mokuba looked down at his plate, trying to hide a sly smile.

Kaiba felt a tug of amusement through the bond.

_/ /He already ate./ /_

_What?_

_/ /When you went into the kitchen to make breakfast, there were already dishes on the counter. Mokuba must have finished eating right before you came in./ /_

_Then why is he eating again?_

_/ /Because he wants to spend time with you. You do not offer to eat with him often, so he is taking advantage of the opportunity./ /_

Kaiba looked over at his brother contemplatively. Mokuba was eating his food again, playing with it a little since he didn't really want it.

"If you already ate, you don't have to eat again," Kaiba remarked.

Mokuba looked up, startled. "Wha-?...How did you know I already ate?"

"A little birdy told me," he muttered. "Don't eat it if you don't want it. I'm almost done anyway."

Mokuba wore a puzzled frown as he tried to decipher his brother's statement. "So…They were telling the truth then? Meryet really is here?"

Kaiba frowned again. Too smart for his own good. "Yes," he said shortly.

"Wow. Does she-?" Mokuba seemed to catch on that his brother didn't want to talk about it, and switched tactics, returning to his account of school life.

After a few minutes Kaiba finished and prepared to leave.

"Seto?" He glanced back at his younger brother as he started out the door. "Thank you. It was really nice eating with you. Good luck at work today!"

Kaiba just looked at him for a moment, before smiling slightly. "Goodbye, Mokuba. Have a good day at school."

He left the mansion and got into his limo.

_Hmm…He really did seem a lot happier than usual. Maybe we should do that more often._

He felt a swell of approval through the link and started in surprise. Apparently he had forgotten to block it again.

_/ /It is a good start, Kaiba. Give it a little time, and I am sure that you and Mokuba will be as close as you were as children./ /_

He didn't respond to the spirit sitting next to him, but he prayed that she was right.

* * *

Kaiba sighed again, tapping his pen on his desk impatiently. Three meetings down and one to go. To be honest, he preferred solitary work to meetings, but they were a necessary evil. In half an hour he would have his last conference, and once that was over, everyone would leave him alone until he decided to go home.

"Mr. Kaiba, sir?"

Kaiba looked up in annoyance as his secretary opened his door. Why couldn't these people just leave him alone?

"What is it now?" he snapped irritably.

"Umm…There are a couple of kids outside asking to see you," she stuttered, obviously nervous. Probably worried he would fire her for interrupting him.

"Get rid of them," he said, looking at her as if she were stupid. Couldn't these people get anything right?

"Well, I tried, but they said that you knew them and wouldn't leave. It's a…" She frowned, trying to remember their names. "Umm…Mutou? Yeah, I think that's it. A boy and a girl. The boy's got this crazy spiky hair and-"

"Shut up. I know who they are," Kaiba barked. Obviously new on the job or she would know his archrival. Leaving her open-mouthed and uncertain, he considered his options. He really didn't want to deal with the Mutou brats, but he was sure the ghost standing on the other side of his office did. And maybe they had figured something out. But he _really_ didn't want to deal with them…

He glanced over toward the window where Meryet was standing. She didn't say anything, just raised an eyebrow and let her gaze drift back to the view outside the glass. He stifled a sigh. She didn't have to say anything. He knew she wanted to see Mira and Yugi.

"Alright," he said finally, his voice laced with exasperation. "Send them in."

The secretary scurried out, obviously anxious to be gone. A few moments later, Mira and Yami entered his office. He arched an eyebrow as he realized that this wasn't Yugi he was dealing with. They both stopped in front of his desk, Yami looking as cool and confident as ever, Mira looking a little more ill at ease and nervous. He supposed he should have known it would have been Yami who came. If it had just been the Mutous they probably wouldn't have stood up to his secretary.

"Well? I don't have all day. In fact, I have an important meeting in half an hour, so make this quick," Kaiba said impatiently, turning his gaze back to his computer screen as he returned to typing.

"We came to speak to Meryet," Yami replied coolly. "And no. I am sorry, but we have not found a way to transfer the bond back." His voice softened a little, as if to let Kaiba down easier.

Kaiba let out a breath he hadn't realized that he'd been holding and sighed. The news didn't really surprise him, but he had been holding on to a shred of hope that they would have found a way.

"Sorry, Kaiba," Mira said sympathetically. "We're trying, but there just isn't a whole lot of information about the mirror or Meryet's brand of magic. Believe me, I want this situation resolved as soon as possible as well."

Yes, he supposed she would. He could hear a note of sadness and frustration in the younger girl's voice. He had always dismissed her and her brother as weak and annoying, but now he studied her intently. There had to be something about her that Meryet respected. And as much as he hated to admit it, he respected Meryet as a worthy opponent. Perhaps he had underestimated the Mutous.

Yami finally noticed Meryet standing by the window. She had turned back and was watching the three of them converse.

"Meryet…" he breathed. "How are you doing? How is Kaiba treating you?"

Meryet smiled slightly. _/ /I am perfectly fine, and actually…/ / _She glanced at Kaiba contemplatively. _/ /Actually, Kaiba and I have been getting along better than is to be expected./ /_

Kaiba choked on his coffee and threw the ghost a disbelieving look. He had nearly destroyed her, and she was talking about how well they got along? He felt a tug of amusement through the bond.

_/ /Well, it is true, is it not? You only tried to kill me once. I was expecting once a day at least./ /_

He couldn't suppress a wry chuckle. Judging by the odd looks Yami and Mira were giving him, he figured that that thought had been for him alone.

"Oh…" Mira looked back and forth between Kaiba and Meryet before finally focusing on the spirit. "Are you sure? I could have sworn something was wrong with you a few days ago. Maybe it was just my imagination, but…"

Meryet shrugged it off. _/ /There was a brief incident, but everything is alright./ /_

Kaiba frowned. Had the girl somehow sensed that he had broken the mirror? The bond she shared with Meryet must be very strong. But why was Meryet playing it off as if it were nothing?

"Oh…I miss you a lot, Meryet. Have you been making any progress?"

Meryet smiled sadly. _/ /I miss you as well, Mira, but we will be reunited. Probably soon. I think that Kaiba and I may have made the first breakthrough. Hopefully it will not be too long now./ /_

Kaiba raised an eyebrow. A breakthrough? This was news to him. He tried to ignore the others as he continued working, but he couldn't help but overhear their conversation, though he pretended not to. They really were close. He almost felt bad about kicking the Mutous out. Almost.

"I hate to break this up," he said dryly, "but I have a meeting now, so you need to get out of here."

He tried not to see their mournful goodbyes, but he couldn't help but pick up on Meryet's suddenly melancholy mood as she disappeared and the other two left the building.

* * *

Kaiba decided to call off his day early. With the merger finalized and four meetings completed, he was exhausted. With a tired sigh, he packed up his briefcase and walked out of the building.

_/ /Maybe you should pick up something on the way home. You could eat dinner with Mokuba tonight./ /_

Kaiba glanced around, but the spirit was nowhere to be seen. She hadn't emerged from the mirror since Yami and Mira had left. Bad mood, he guessed.

_I suppose so._

He felt her surprise and suspicion. Probably wondering why he had given in so easily. Usually he would have argued. But he _did _want to make things up to Mokuba, and this seemed like a good a way as any to do it. And in any case, he was too drained to want to start an argument with Meryet right now. He'd follow her advice this once.

He passed his limo and waved off the driver. He would stop by his brother's favorite café and pick up some food to bring home. Maybe it would have been better to just take Mokuba out, but he was too tired to want to eat out right now.

Distracted by his thoughts and exhaustion, he began to cross the street, not noticing the car barreling towards him.

_/ /Kaiba! Look out!/ /_

He frowned and turned his head sluggishly, confused. His eyes widened as he saw the truck mere feet in front of him. What a lame way to die.

He gasped as he felt a rough push. It was much less gentle than the first time Meryet had taken control. This time she had no time to waste, shoving his consciousness out of the way and slipping into his body.

Kaiba watched as his ghostly form appeared next to his body. His body jerked out of the way of the oncoming truck and rolled smoothly out of the road. He felt Meryet gently guide him back into his body as she relinquished control.

_/ /Sorry./ /_

_For what? _He looked at her in disbelief, still gasping from his near-death experience.

_/ /For taking over your body without permission./ /_

_ …__You saved me._

_/ /Yes. You should really pay more attention to where you are going./ /_

_So don't apologize._

_/ /But-/ /_

_Shut up._

He shook his head. She saved his life and was apologizing to him? He would never understand her. But at least he was awake now. Wide awake.

He finished his errand in silence and left the café.

_/ /Be careful./ /_

_Yeah, yeah._

He made sure he looked both ways before crossing the street this time. Sliding into his limo, he waved for his driver to take him home. After a few minutes he noticed that the spirit had emerged from the mirror again and was sitting beside him, staring out the window like she normally did.

_Mira?_

_/ /Yes, Kaiba?/ /_

_ …_

He looked away, feeling her curious gaze turn on him. He wasn't sure he could say it.

_/ /What is it?/ /_

_ …_

He took a deep breath to steady himself. Maybe he should just leave it alone.

_…_

But… It had to be done. Right now he felt as if he owed the spirit, and he hated being indebted to anyone. He let the breath out slowly and sighed.

_…__Thank you._

He felt a jolt of surprise from Meryet. For a moment, she didn't respond.

_/ /Thank you./ /_

Now it was his turn to be surprised.

_Whatever for? You're the one who saved me._

_/ /Thank you for thanking me. It means a lot, coming from you. I can see you changing already./ /_

Kaiba didn't reply, but considered her words the whole ride home.

* * *

Kaiba had to admit that bringing home dinner and eating with Mokuba had been a pretty good idea. He had actually managed to enjoy himself a little and relax, and his brother had definitely been excited. Seeing the spark in his eye had made almost getting hit by a car totally worth it. Well, _almost_ worth it.

Speaking of getting hit by a car…He paused in his typing. Meryet could have easily let him get hit. It would have served him right after all he had put her through. But she didn't. Why? Could it be that she really did care about his safety? Or was she just concerned with protecting her vessel in order to protect herself?

_/ /I suppose that would make sense./ /_

He spun around in his chair to see that Meryet had materialized and was sitting on his bed, looking at him with a thoughtful expression.

"So it's true?"

She frowned and seemed to really consider her answer before replying.

_/ /No. It is true that I am not sure what will happen to me if you are killed. If Mira was to die, I would be locked inside the mirror once again. Perhaps the same thing would happen if you were to die while we are still bonded. I do not know for sure. But that played no role in my decision to take over your body./ /_

"Well then, why did you do it?" he asked, genuinely curious. She hesitated again.

_/ /I suppose because of the same reason I suspect the mirror swapped loyalties./ /_

"And why is that?"

_/ /Because despite your arrogance, cold-heartedness, and egotistical and self-serving personality, I see in you a heart worth saving. I imagine that something in your past has damaged you and caused you to lock your heart away and adopt this cold persona. That means that there is still something to save in you, and I intend to do so. Hard to do if you are dead./ /_

Kaiba remained silent for a minute. "Why do you think that?"

_/ /I can see it in your eyes. I have a lot of respect for you, Seto Kaiba. Now have some of that respect for yourself./ /_

He frowned in confusion. "I have plenty of respect for myself. Too much, some might say. Bordering on egotistical even."

_/ /No, you do not. Behind your façade, you have much less confidence and self-respect than you would like us to believe. Perhaps it has even gone so far that you no longer like yourself very much or feel deserving of love. Am I wrong?/ /_

He gaped at her. "How…? How can you read me so well?"

She shrugged. _/ /You are not an easy person to read. But I have met people like you before, and over these past several days, I have gotten to know you better than perhaps anyone else./ /_

He was still a little shaken at how easily she had seen past his defenses. Because however much he hated to admit it, even to himself, she was right. Gozaboru had really damaged him. Made him feel as if something was wrong with himself. He had pushed everyone away so that he couldn't get hurt again, but had that very act hurt him more than he had realized? Because he realized that he had never really been happy since he was a young child.

He looked at the spirit with a newfound respect. And wariness. She really was something else. Dangerous, this one. He was glad he hadn't made her really mad at him yet. He had the feeling that she would have a pretty good idea of how to hurt him in the worst ways possible because of how well she seemed to understand him. That disturbed him a little. But he still had another question.

"Why didn't you tell Mira that I broke the mirror?" He had figured that would be one of the first things she related, and had planned for how to deal with the others' anger.

_/ /Why would I? No permanent harm was done, and it would just anger the others. It will be our little secret, no?/ /_

She gave him a tired smile.

_/ /I think I will retire now. Goodnight, Kaiba/ /_

He watched as she vanished, and shook his head. It had been a long, exhausting day, but he couldn't go to sleep just yet. She had given him too much to think over.


End file.
